Black Lifeline
by GreyTabbyCat
Summary: Abe's all excited because it's Christmas morning and Santa brought presents. His parents only got very little sleep working late at the hospital though. Short drabble full of fluff for the Forever Drabble Challenge Week Two prompt "Caffeine" over on Tumblr.


A/N: When I read this week's prompt I was stumped at first. Then this idea popped into my head. I have to admit this turned out way more fluffy than I had intended. Beware! ^.~

Plus, I'm not quite sure whether I captured the Henry/Abigail relationship quite right. Sorry in case I didn't!

Disclaimer as usual: Not mine!

 **ssssss**

"Mom! Dad! Santa was here!" 6-year-old Abraham burst through his parents' bedroom door, all excited.

"Abraham!" his father shot up in bed, cruelly yanked from what little sleep he had gotten the previous night. "What have we been telling you about knocking before entering a person's room?"

"But it's Christmas!" Abe tried to justify his actions.

"That is no exception."

"Ok, I'm sorry, Dad," Abe apologized meekly. "But can we go open presents now?" He was already excited again.

"Abraham it's still very early. Why don't you go back to bed and try to sleep a little bit more?"

"I tried, Dad. Really! But I'm too awake now," he whined dramatically.

"Alright," Henry sighed. "You go wait in your room and I'll see what I can do."

"Yay!" Abe jumped up and down excitedly before running to his room, squealing all the while. Henry yawned and settled back down. _Only 5 more minutes._

He turned to look at his wife next to him, nudging her softly. "You can stop pretending to be asleep now, you know?" he teased her good-naturedly.

"I'm not pretending," Abigail yawned, face pressed into her pillow, "Only pretending to be awake." She turned around, throwing an arm over Henry's chest and drawing him in close. "What time is it anyway?"

"Not even 7." Abigail only groaned at the answer, burrowing even deeper into Henry's side. He softly stroked her hair, murmuring, "I know."

"Why is it that Christmas Eve is always one of the busiest days in any hospital?"

"And we have an over-excited 6-year-old on pins and needles in his room. This will be a very long day," he sighed, a smile still playing on his lips at the thought of his little boy.

"Yes, but I'm sure he'll love what **Santa** brought him. Speaking of Santa, you know that I saw him last night when he was putting the presents under the tree?" Abigail told him, banter tingeing her voice.

"You did?" Henry grinned at her, playing along. "What did you think of him?"

"I think that I love him," she said, moving up to kiss his cheek.

"Splendid! Because he loves you too," Henry murmured fondly before turning his head and capturing Abigail's lips in a tender kiss.

After a few moments they broke apart, mindful of their son's non-existent patience and their still open bedroom door.

"I think I can afford you with one or two more hours of rest. I'll go and suggest to Abraham that we could go to the park around the corner and build a snowman. He's been asking ever since we got the first snow, but we never quite found the right moment to go yet."

"Wonderful idea. You're the best." Abigail gave her husband a quick kiss in thanks before he got out of bed and hurriedly put on some clothes.

"Go back to sleep, dear," Henry murmured then kissed his wife's forehead and went to go find Abraham, softly closing the door behind him.

Before Abigail drifted back into a light sleep she could hear talking followed by whining, more talking and finally squealing followed by rummaging. A little while later she heard the front door close and then silence.

When a laughing, but frozen Henry and Abraham entered the apartment again nearly 3 hours later, Abigail was welcoming them home with a smile.

"Mom!" Abraham ran over to her excitedly, hugging her. "Dad and I built the biggest snowman ever! It is this big!" He pulled back to show her, raising his arms over his head as far as they would go.

"Really? That's amazing, sweetie!" She smiled brightly down at her son. "Now go clean yourself up and I'll have a cup of hot chocolate ready to warm you up afterwards."

Abe ran down the hall full of joy about his morning spent in the snow. And Abigail turned to Henry who had observed their little exchange from the doorway, smiling lovingly at his family. Now he stepped towards her and embraced her. "Sleep well?"

"Very. Thank you! If you release me and follow me into the kitchen, I have something for you too."

"Do I get hot chocolate too?" Henry inquired not letting go of her just yet.

"Better," she told him, reaching up to kiss him sweetly.

"What could be better? I'm intrigued." Henry let go of Abigail's waist. He could never resist a mystery.

In the kitchen she pressed a steaming mug of coffee into his hands, beaming.

"Yes, darling, this is better indeed. Exactly what I need today, besides my family that is of course." Henry smiled at her, before closing his eyes and inhaling what was the smell of heaven for his sleep-deprived body.


End file.
